


See What We Cannot

by mitslits



Series: Prompts [64]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: M/M, daemon!AU - Freeform, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitslits/pseuds/mitslits
Summary: a merhartwin daemonAU floating around my head and I wanted to share it with you I would be honored if wrote something for it or even just shared it witth others that adore merhartwin! So the prompt is that the three of them have just entered into a relationship (with Eggsy becoming the third to an already established Merlahad) and he sees Merlin(or Harry) handling Harry's(or Merlin's) daemon and Eggsy freaks out since the only time he's seen other people handling other people’s daemons is to harm them and their person due to Dean’s influence.





	See What We Cannot

Kingsman is a bit of a learning curve for Eggsy. 

There’s the fighting, of course. Eggsy was used to opting for the flight option in fight-or-flight situations, but no longer is that the case. Now he stands his ground and gives as good as he gets, sometimes better. He wears blood and bruises on his knuckles like badges. 

There’s also the company. Upper class people just aren’t the same as the mates Eggsy hung around with back at the estates. There’s all these rules to learn, even for something as simple as eating. But it’s only a part Eggsy has to play and he’s a damn good actor, if he says so himself. 

But the hardest part to get used to is the daemons. 

Eggsy nearly had a panic attack the first time he saw one roaming around the grounds, no Host in sight. He’d approached the tiny, ghost-like creature cautiously, hands up, placating, tone as soothing as he could make it. “I don’t wanna hurt you, alright? I just wanna help.” 

It had tipped its head curiously to one side and blinked as he approached. 

Eggsy was just opening his mouth to ask who it belonged to when there was a sharp whistle, and Merlin had come strolling around the corner, clipboard in hand. 

Immediately, the daemon scurried off to take its place on Merlin’s shoulder. It bent its head down as if it too were studying the clipboard intently. 

With a sigh of relief, Eggsy went on his way. He almost told Merlin he should keep a better eye on his daemon if he didn’t want it wandering off, but he thought better of it. He was just a recruit. No one needed his opinion. 

Most of the times, the recruits were required to keep theirs hidden. “No extra help,” Merlin said. “Some of them might be too clever for your own good.” 

That is just fine with Eggsy. He doesn’t trust some of these bastards as far as he can throw them. Eggsy keeps his daemon under wraps as much as possible, only lets him out when he knows for sure he’s alone. It’s always a bit of a task to get it to come out anyways, timid thing that it is. It clings to Eggsy, nestles into the curve of his neck or the palm of his hand, purring like a cat. Eggsy never lets it stay out for long. If the others were to get ahold of it… he shudders at the thought. 

Apparently, however, Merlin makes it a habit of just letting his go where it will because the next time Eggsy sees it, Merlin is once again absent. This time, though, they’re not alone. 

One of the knights -- Eggsy thinks his name is Harry? Henry? Galahad, that’s what he knows for sure -- is strolling through the hall, a copy of The Sun tucked under one arm. 

Eggsy freezes in his tracks when he sees Merlin’s daemon sneak up behind Harry and headbutt his shoulder. What is it doing? Shouldn’t it know better than to approach strangers like that? His heart leaps into his throat as Harry looks down at it with a frown. 

“Not you again,” he mutters. He reaches out a hand- 

“No,” Eggsy says through gritted teeth, striding forward fully ready to take Galahad on, knight or not. He knows what it’s like to have your daemon hurt, and he’s not letting that happen to anyone else, not if he can help it. But his stride falters a little the next moment. 

Harry scratches behind the daemon’s ears with a fond if exasperated sigh. “Honestly, you really are a little monster. I’ve work to do, you know. And I’m sure you do too,” he says, pinning Eggsy under his stare. 

Eggsy gulps and takes an involuntary step backwards. “Y-yes, sir.” Cheeks burning, he spins around and starts back the way he’d come. There goes any chance of ever looking Galahad in the face again. Not everyone is like Dean. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that. 

That night, he lets his own daemon out, just for a little while. It’s risky, but Eggsy wants to let it stretch its legs for a little while. Everyone else is fast asleep and it will only be for a few minutes. It’ll be fine. 

As usual, it keeps as close to Eggsy as possible, galloping up his shoulders, across his legs, settles with a soft sigh on his kneecap. Then its ears prick up and its head swivels towards the barrack door. 

Before Eggsy can react, it takes off, running through the air and disappearing through the door. 

Eggsy swears quietly and slips out of bed. Careful not to make any noise, he slips out after it. Its never done this before, not since he was little and Dean beat it out of the both of them. He has no idea where to start looking. 

“Get back here,” Eggsy hisses into the stillness. He creeps around a corner and nearly has a heart attack as he runs straight into Merlin. 

Merlin just steps back, smooth as always, hands cupped protectively in front of him. “Mr. Unwin,” he says. “Out past curfew, I see.” 

Eggsy’s mouth goes dry. “Um.” Had Galahad told him what happened earlier, what an idiot he had been? A couple more incidents like this and Eggsy can kiss Kingsman goodbye, he’s sure of it. “Sorry, sir, but my daemon- I’ve gotta find it, its not good on its own-” 

Merlin opens his hands to reveal Eggsy’s daemon curled up contentedly, eyes closed, fast asleep. “Would this be it?” he asks, and Eggsy thinks there’s the slightest edge of amusement in his tone. 

“Yeah,” Eggsy says, a little shell-shocked. His daemon hasn’t been comfortable around strangers… well, ever. “Thanks.” Trying not to wake it, he scoops it out of Merlin’s hands and sends it back to the ether. 

Merlin tilts his head in the direction of the barracks in a silent command. 

Eggsy takes the hint and starts slinking off. 

“Keep a better eye on it in future,” Merlin says as Eggsy heads off. “I don’t think it likes strangers.” 

This time, the amusement is clear. 

-

After that, Eggsy doesn’t let his daemon out anymore, not even at night. He doesn’t need another embarrassing midnight stroll, thanks very much. 

At least, he doesn’t intend to. But being tied to train tracks are sort of extenuating circumstances, and Eggsy doesn’t have as much control as usual. 

His daemon pops into existence without him even asking, takes in the situation at a glance and looks at him with worried eyes. 

“Go, get out of here,” Eggsy tells it, straining uselessly against the ropes. “Fucking go!” 

But stupid, lovely,  _ loyal _ little thing that it is, it stays right by him even as the train chugs relentlessly forward. It attacks the ropes, hacking, gnawing, slashing, but its not fast enough to beat a train. 

There’s someone yelling at Eggsy too, demanding answers to questions he’s too panicked to really hear. The light is all he can see. The tracks shudder beneath him. The ropes around his left hand fall away, then the ones around his right, but it’s too late. The train is already there. With a hoarse shout, he cradles his daemon to his chest and squeezes his eyes shut. 

Eggsy opens them to find a strange daemon blinking down at him and both he and his own very much alive. 

Galahad’s face swims into focus behind the daemon. “I was going to offer to cut you free, but…” He trails off, arching his eyebrows. 

In a trice, Eggsy has himself free of the ropes still around his ankles and glaring up at Galahad. “Bloody wankers, the lot of you. Thought I was dead.” Despite that, he accepts Galahad’s help getting off the tracks, follows him into a control room.

It’s there that Eggsy finds out Harry -- and it is Harry, Merlin says it himself -- was the one who’d proposed him. It’s also where he gets to watch Charlie have a complete meltdown. That almost makes the months of pleb jokes worth it. 

Merlin swivels to face Roxy, Eggsy, and the two knights who’d proposed them. “Congratulations, you two. Well done on making it this far. From now on, there will be no more safety nights.” 

Eggsy almost snorts. There really hadn’t been a whole lot before. 

“You have 24 hours to spend with the person who proposed you,” Merlin continues, and Eggsy could swear a look passes between him and Harry. “Dismissed.” 

It’s a bit of an awkward ride to Harry’s home. Eggsy doesn’t really know anything about him, after all, and he’s still in a bit of a weird headspace after thinking he was going to die. He opens his mouth to say something once or twice, but each time closes it without actually speaking. 

Thankfully, Harry doesn’t push it. 

Harry’s house is actually quite nice, if a little spartan. It feels like money, and Eggsy stuffs his hands in his pockets, reluctant to touch anything. 

Harry touches his shoulder, an affectionate gesture that takes Eggsy by surprise. “Relax,” he says with a warm smile. “There aren’t any trains here.” 

The adrenaline finally starts leaking out of him, and Eggsy’s shoulders round forward. His daemon shimmers into existence and Harry’s follows suit. The two run off through the air together, completely comfortable, and Eggsy shakes his head. 

“Something wrong?” Harry asks, hand still on Eggsy’s shoulder as he steers him towards the kitchen. 

Eggsy allows himself to be led, because honestly he’s had enough of thinking for the day. Abject horror will do that to a person. “Nah, not really wrong. It’s just strange, innit? Usually, my daemon’s pretty shy around strangers. Not you, though.” 

“Or me, if I recall correctly,” a new voice breaks in. 

Eggsy stops dead in his tracks, blinking uncomprehendingly at Merlin who’s standing in Harry’s kitchen with his hands wrapped around a mug of tea. “What are you doing here?” 

Harry laughs lightly, finally releasing Eggsy. “He lives here,” he says. “You’ll be wanting something a little longer than tea, I think.” He rummages around until he pulls out a bottle of gin before reaching for a glass. He stops to press a quick kiss to Merlin’s temple on his way back to Eggsy. 

The barest hint of a smile tugs at the corner of Merlin’s mouth. 

Harry hands Eggsy a martini glass of gin and Eggsy takes it and downs it in one gulp. It’s been that kind of day and it’s just getting weirder.

“You know,” Merlin says, scratching his own daemon under the chin, “there are those who say daemons can sense things we can’t. Danger before we know about it, the right path to take.” He levels a meaningful look at Eggsy. “The company we should keep.” 

Eggsy stares back at him and blinks. “What are you saying?” 

Harry breaks in then, holding his own glass of gin. “He’s saying that there could be a reason our daemons get along so well. Merlin and I have been together for a long time, Eggsy, and we love each other dearly, but there’s always been something missing.” 

“Some _ one _ ,” Merlin corrects gently. 

Eggsy glances back and forth between the two of them. “Me?” he asks incredulously. 

“You,” Harry and Merlin say in unison. 

Eggsy stares at them. He keeps staring. This is all seems like a dream. Or a bad joke. Suddenly wary, he narrows his eyes and takes a step back. “And if I’m not interested?” 

Harry looks slightly disappointed, but he shrugs one shoulder. “We aren’t going to keep you here, I assure you. And we won’t bring this up again if you’d rather not think about it.” 

“You still have every chance of becoming a Kingsman,” Merlin says quietly as if he’d plucked that fear right out of Eggsy’s mind. “We won’t hold your decision against you.” 

Harry holds his hand out with that same warm smile he’d worn before Eggsy’s world got tipped upside down. 

Eggsy thinks about what it would be like to feel like this all the time: his daemon off somewhere in the house, not attached to him at the hip without Eggsy even having to worry about it. Completely at ease. It’s such a foreign thing, he can’t imagine a lifetime of it. But he wants it. He knows he does. So he slips his hand into Harry’s and gives himself to them. 


End file.
